Category Archives: The Ministry

This past weekend was one of closure for several shows on offer within Toronto’s artistic programme. The Clock, Christian Marclay’s champion effort to evoke the romantic and elusive nature of time as regarded through the cinematic lens, saw its final moments at The Power Plant on the evening of Sunday, November 25. The single channel video and sound work is cleverly comprised of film clips displaying timepieces – analog wristwatches, digital alarm clocks, and the sundials of bygone days—as well as less obvious indicators of time’s passing, such as burning cigarettes and changing clothing. Over the course of Marclay’s 24 hour film loop, these fragments of cinematic history trace every minute, inscribing images on the rote of daily living. When Eastern Standard Time registered midnight last Sunday, the collaged narrative concluded with a coordinated time stamp of 12 AM. Luckily for Canadians, omnipotent art lovers Jay Smith and Laura Rapp facilitated the National Gallery’s purchase of one of six editions of the art work, guaranteeing that it will only be a matter of time before The Clock strikes again.

Ministry members were invited to an intimate and informative studio visit at the home of artists Luke Painter and Faith La Rocque. Each working in an entirely different manner in terms of their chosen media and conceptual concerns, the artists toured The Ministry around their home, discussing their art practices and providing an illuminating perspective of their work.

Read on for more information on how to become a member and to check out photos from the evening.

Every autumn the urban area inscribed by 12th and 6th Avenues + W 14th and W 34th Streets—New York’s Chelsea district—offers up its fall programme to art lovers thirsty after summer’s annual drought. At this time of year, Saturday’s order of the day becomes promiscuous trysts amongst partners like Marianne Boesky, Galerie Lelong, Andrea Rosen Gallery, and Mary Boone Gallery. Depending on the gallery’s stamina, each encounter might last between 7 and 20 minutes. Paused by lunch at Pepe Giallo and ending with refreshments at The Half King, gallery-goers return home well sated, visually and gastronomically.

In the wake of the tumult that Hurricane Sandy recently waged on this internationally important art district, my tour back in late September has taken on uncanny prophesy. Thomas Hirschhorn’s upended ship hull at Gladstone Gallery and Rosemary Laing’s sky-born trees gripping half-built houses now seem to have forecasted the impending deluge. Reading Jerry Saltz’s sobering account of flooded ground level galleries and the reticent discarding of unsalvageable, water-logged art reminds me that Chelsea remains a unique environment where commercial enterprise abuts critical engagement. Moreover, a dialogue surrounding artwork that is indulgent, as is sometimes presented by superdealers like Larry Gagosian, has a place among discussions of more compelling work.

The Ministry of Artistic Affairs held their third annual guided tour of Art Toronto, offering members the opportunity to experience the fair through the eyes of experts in the contemporary art market and art theory. With stops at the booths of important galleries and engaging discussions about the significance of various pieces, it proved to be an insightful experience for both dedicated collectors and general art enthusiasts alike.

This past Wednesday, Ministry members were invited to an exclusive preview of acclaimed photographer Dominic Nahr‘s latest exhibition,Fracture, at O’Born Contemporary. Members were given a private tour of the show a day before it opened to the public, accompanied by Nahr who answered questions and spoke about his extraordinary career and experiences as an international photojournalist.

On August 7th, members of the Ministry were invited to the Museum of Contemporary Canadian Art for an intimate look at their latest group exhibition trans/FORM. A tour of the work was led by Museum Director David Liss who explained the concept behind the show and spoke about each artist involved. The result was an informative and fun introduction to 8 toronto conceptual abstract artists who all have interest in materiality and process based art.

Join The Ministry for an intimate studio visit with two of Toronto’s most exciting emerging visual artists, Anders Oinonen and Susy Oliveira. These artists have generously invited members in to their home studio to discuss their imagery and approach to creating art.

Anders Oinonen’s facial constructions are both precisely crafted and mysterious. Working with oils on canvas, Oinonen creates images that are ambiguous and can be read as either figurative or as abstract landscapes. A MFA graduate from Waterloo, Oinonen has exhibited his works in galleries and museums across North America. His work can be found in collections such as the Musee d’art contemporain de Montreal and the Canada Council Art Bank. Oinonen is represented in Toronto by COOPER COLE.

Susy Oliveira creates sculptures, paintings and installations that examine human’s preoccupation with controlling and re-producing elements of nature through artificial fabrication. Often using digital images that attempt to capture or reproduce elements of nature, the artist repurposes the images to give new life and form to artificial versions of natural and organic material. As humans continue to manipulate and impose unnatural systems onto otherwise natural elements of the world for personal pleasure and consumption, Oliveira’s work underscores our perpetuated distance from a world that is undisturbed by our existence.

On June 18th, members of the Ministry were invited to view American mixed media artist Souther Salazar‘s latest exhibition at Narwhal Art Projects. A tour of the work was led by Salazar himself, followed by a question and answer period that allowed for the members to gain valuable insight into his work. Kristin Weckworth of Narwhal Art Projects was also in attendance to discuss her organization.

Souther Salazar’s “You and Me (and the Mouse in the Moon) at Narwhal Art Projects runs from June 16-July 15, 2012

On May 9th, members of the Ministry were invited into the home of avid art enthusiasts Alison and Alan Schwartz, for a private tour of their extensive art collection. The tour was led by Alan Schwartz, who has served on the boards of the Royal Ontario Museum and the Art Gallery of Ontario in Toronto and the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. The members were treated to insightful commentary of each piece in the collection, which included work in a variety of mediums and by contemporary art legends like Cindy Sherman, Richard Serra, and Andreas Gursky.

On Thursday, March 15 members of the Ministry were invited into the studio of Toronto-based painter Steve Driscoll for a private tour of his working space and an opportunity to hear him talk about his work, inspirations and artistic process. Driscoll is represented by Angell Gallery in Toronto.

On Saturday, March 3, the members of the Ministry were invited to attend a talk at Cooper Cole gallery from internationally exhibited mixed media artist Brendan Monroe. His latest show, Observations of Light and Matter, opened at Cooper Cole on March 2, and is his first time exhibiting in Canada.

Observations of Light and Matter runs until March 25. See more photos from the artist’s talk after the jump.

Earlier this week, members of The Ministry were invited into the studio of multimedia artist Niall McClelland for an intimate viewing of his work and a discussion of his artistic process and inspiration.

The Ministry was a membership-based event series that offered an informative and creative social environment for like-minded professionals to network and explore the enrichment of collecting and supporting the arts. The Ministry hosted 40 events between 2010 and 2012. It is currently on hiatus.